11 comments:

I'd like to see the Scottish Government put funds towards more natural and open-ended play materials for school playgrounds, both permanent fixtures and loose parts. This could include, but is not limited to, giant tree branches to climb on, tyres, nets/tarps, sand, wood in various forms and tubing.

So far, the Scottish Government has invested more than £1.2 million through the Grounds for Learning natural playground project. However I agree that this is a drop in the ocean and more needs to be done.

I think it's a great start and something to keep us all on track, the ultimate aim to make Scotland the best place to grow up, it's a no brainer that a play strategy is part of that. There is nothing I love more than to sit down with my son and play. Or to go an adventure. Dads Rock has really just started and we've a lot to learn, but we all get so much out of it when we play games, the sense of discovery is amazing. Well done to the Scot Gov, keep on Rocking!

I think the play strategy sounds great. My plea would be that we don't build up yet another empire to direct proceedings or to interfere through regulation, especially in childcare settings. There is ample opportunity for current regulatory bodies to focus on play provision (and how well practitioners understand, support and promote this) in Care Inspectorate and HMI inspections. Local authorities could be asked to collect and collate examples of good practice rather than assuming the role of advisors -there is a lot of great things going on already that could be celebrated and shared to inspire others rather than being used as a stick or carrot!

Hello from The Basque Coubtry. I'm agree when you say may children don't have places, squares...to play. I think too that we profesionals of fisycal education have to teach first children to play, and after they'll be able theirselves. What do you think about that? Thankyou.

I'm an advocate for free outdoor play, although, I am in a fortunate position to have the space and natural playground for our children and guests to enjoy. Children need to have the opportunity to explore and learn by finding their own physical boundaries. The play strategy sounds fantastic and I hope it's a success. Thanks for sharing with Country Kids.

Juliet, to make a policy there has to be some consensus about what play is exactly. Most think of it as an activity children engage in. I think about it more as a disposition, a unique way of perceiving, feeling, and acting on the world. It is how their curiosity is manifested. Play is the means children use to explore the physical, social emotional, and cognitive world. With that understanding, we see children playing all the time. Even to the extent that they will animate cracks in the sidewalk as they walk down the street. If adults can come to an understanding of what play is, the rest may follow. I feel like I am rambling and not really answering the question so please take it for what it is worth.

I'm a PhD student researching the rights of children in the Scottish Planning System. I'd like to see a slight rephrasing in the language to make it a play and leisure strategy for children. Although I realise the term play does refer also to older children, I feel it has connotations too closely linked with just the very young.

I really welcome the strategy, and I'm glad to see that it holds the role of SPP and planning in general as important to integrating the strategy. Ultimately, I'd like the rights of children to more directly inform planning policies and for equalities impact assessments to be more aware of the varying needs of varying ages of children. The protected characteristic of age is too often understood as just the elderly.

From my current position, I can see so many fences around greenspaces out the window. We need to de-structure some of the unstructured environments available to children to play, and be aware of just how urban design features can be interpreted by a child.